Managing Your OCD, Panic Attacks, And Obsessive Thoughts

There are times that we encounter fearful thoughts that can be difficult to manage. For some people, the more they try to get rid of the thoughts, the stronger the thoughts become and the more difficult they become to manage. As a result, here is a brief list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their fearful and obsessive thoughts and anxieties.

The first thing a person must do is not to dwell or focus on the fear provoking thought when it comes. The more a person tries to reason out the thought or focus on the fear behind the thought, the stronger the thought becomes. The next time you encounter an obsessive thought, get into the practice of not dwelling on it.

From my interviews with various psychologists, I was told that a person should visualize a red stop sign in their mind when they encounter a fear provoking thought. When the negative thought comes, a person should think of a red stop sign which serves as a reminder to stop focusing on that thought and to think of something else. A person can then try to think of something positive to replace the negative thought.

A person should keep a small notebook of positive statements that makes them feel good. Whenever they come across a positive and uplifting verse that makes them feel good, write it down in a small notebook. A person can then carry this notebook around in their pocket and whenever they feel anxious, they can read their notebook.

Our fearful thoughts can sometimes produce a lot of anxiety. When this happens, a person should take a deep breathe and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things.

Although I am a Layman and not a professional, I have interviewed many counselors and I learned that there are many ways to deal with these kinds of thoughts. From my interviews, I’ve learned that usually it is the fear behind the thought that gets us worked up. When dealing with fearful and obsessive thoughts, do not dwell on the thought.

1 Comment

Linda Rosen on February 18, 2015 at 9:58 pm

Mr. Popovich, while sounding sincere, oversimplified the suggestions for getting over the hurdles of OCD . Those ideas may apply for those with mild OCD, but for those with a more severe case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and burdened with 24/7 rituals they must get through to perform the simplest of tasks medication coupled with therapy seems to be the only viable answer. He or she who suffers that OCD severity can become so disabled so as not to even be able to leave their room less they go through rituals leaving their bodies fatigued and in pain. If you couple the OCD with a co-morbid disorder such as Tourettes Syndrome ( involuntary motor and/or verbal tics) , the anxiety of the OCD tends to exacerbate the tics of Tourettes. I, too, am a layman, but have experienced my granddaughter’s fight with Tourettes and OCD to the extent whereby she can’t get through her rituals to make it to A doctor’s office in order to receive meds and therapy. How do you find a doctor these days to make house calls?! Having stated the above, we will not give up finding the answers.